Ontario Players Put Pen To Paper On NCAA Signing Day

By OSA News, 02/11/14, 11:00AM EST

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Its time we started singing your praises Ontario. To do that, the OSA is trying to build a better database of Ontario players. We want to share the successes of those who grew through our province going forward.

This is the time of year when university and college age players began declaring for their post-secondary schools. There have been lots of verbal commitments but here are seven Ontario players who put pen to paper and have declared for a school.

Boys

Rich Lareya (Akron)Lareya is already enrolled at the University of Akron but is now eligible for competitions come this spring. He was recently called up to the Canadian Under-18 Men’s National Team after starring at midfield for Sigma FC in Toronto.

Head coach Jared Embick had this to say about Lareya and the other recruits:

"We have added four very talented players that fit well into the Akron style of play," Embick said. "They bring skill, technique, intelligence and a winning mentality to the field. We are excited to incorporate them into the team for the spring semester."

Between 2007-2012 Akrons men’s soccer program posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.849) and captured the NCAA Division I Championship in 2010.

Michael Marcantognini (Michigan State)
Hailing from Sudbury, Marcatognini has been slowly developing a profile across the province. Those who follow Toronto FC will already know him from his time at the Academy. Hes now heading south of the border to continue this development.

Coach Damon Rensing spoke highly of Marcantognini.

Michael comes from St. Andrews College, a prep school in Ontario, where he was a prolific goal scorer there. He has also played with the Toronto FC Academy. Hes a very technical player. He can play in the center midfield, out wide and can play up top. He can play basically any of the attacking positions. Hes got some really smooth technical ability and can do some things that you cant teach in the final third. Hes also got a very good work rate, endurance and is kind of a prototypical central attacking midfielder

Led by NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year Damon Rensing, Michigan State advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1968.

GIRLS

Jordane Carvery (Louisiana State University)
Carvey is an imposing centre back and an emerging talent in the Canadian Womens National Team program. She trained with the U-17 Canadian Womens National Team for the first time in December 2011 at the age of 15. Carvery will join the U-20 national team camp for a second time soon as things kick of Feb. 16.

She had a successful career within the provincial program. She helped guide the Ontario Provincial Team to the U-14 gold medal at the 2010 National All-Star Championships. There was hardware again in 2012, as she led her provincial team to the U-16 silver medal in National All-Star Championships. Finally, she saw her Ontario Provincial Team to a U-18 bronze medal at the Canada Summer Games in 2013.

Carla Portillo (West Virginia)
Portillo will be taking her talents to West Virginia to continue her career. Hailing from Mississauga and attending Port Credit Secondary, Portillo cut her teeth first with the Burlington Bayhawks. A four-year member of the Ontario Provincial team, she won the 2013 OYSL Championship and Ontario Cup with the Bayhawks while there. She has seen several invites to the Canadian U-20 camps and was a member of the 2014 Pre-Regional Exceleration (REX) Program

West Virginia Mountaineers were the Big 12 Conference Champions, where National team player Kadeisha Buchanan is now a freshman.

Ocean Parr (South Florida)
Parr has the honor of being the only international to sign to South Florida this year. Hailing from Newmarket, she helped lead her high school team to a third-place finish in the AAAA OFSSA playoffs in 2012. She was also a part of Ontario's U-17 squad coached by Bryan Rosenfeld as well as the National Training Centre of Ontario U-17 team that also was coached by Rosenfeld.

On top of soccer, Parr was also a standout basketball player and cross county/track & field athlete. She is the daughter of Suzanne and Leo Parr.

"Ocean has exceptional speed and strength. She brings a willingness to learn and a mentality that whatever is asked of her, she will work to master that skill head coach Denise Schilte-Brown said of her.

There South Florida Bulls were American Athletic Conference semi-finalists last year.

Ashley Moreira (University of Pittsburgh)
Maples Ashley Moreira signed her letter of intent to play for the University of Pittsburgh this week. The 54 midfielder has played for Team Ontario for the past four years along with her club team, Glen Shields FC.

Veronica Bosco (University of Memphis)
This striker from Oakville has a resume that, if listed in entirety, would take up an entire page. This week she signed her letter of intent on an NCAA scholarship to become a Memphis Tiger.

A few highlights from the past year include:

2013, U17 Canada Games Team Ontario

2013, U17 Canada National Team training Center

2013, USL W-league Kitchener-Waterloo FC

2012, U17 Canada National Team Training Center

2012, U17 Canadian National Team Residency Camp Toronto Ontario

The Memphis Tigers have also signed Miranda Smith from Ottawas Capital United. The Tigers lost in the American Athletic Conference semi-final to Rutgers.

These are just a few who have signed from the pool of over 300,000 players in Ontario. There are lots more. We need your help.

Know a player doing what at school? Tell us and maybe we will feature them in an upcoming OSA newsletter.

As more players sign, we will add to this list. You can help with that too by mailing us as your clubs players sign on.

Lets celebrate Ontario's successes.

(Note: A thank you to the numerous PR people at these schools who provided the quotes and background information)